Our presenters provided an overview of the new NISC Member Portal and the various resources it contains. They took a close look at the Essential Elements of Information (EEI) test drives, including real-world examples of when and how they can be used.

Dr. David Boyd, Director, Office for Interoperability and Compatibility, Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

"National GeoCONOPS: What It Means for State and Local Officials" Webinar--November 14, 2013David Alexander, Director, Geospatial Management Office, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of the Chief Information Officer, discussed its benefits to state, local, and private organizations; activities, best practices, and technical resources it offers; future training and technological plans. Jeff Dulin, Deputy Chief of Charlotte, NC Fire Department and NISC Director and Treasurer, also provided an overview of the NISC, its mission, current activities, and guidance on how to join the organization. View the event's recording.
View the presentations on GeoCONOPS and the NISC.

"Canada-U.S. Enhanced Resiliency Experiment (CAUSE II)"--June 20, 2013Jack Pagotto and Philip Dawe, Canada Centre for Security Science General Defence Research and Development; and Dr. David Boyd, Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and other panelists presented outcomes from CAUSE II, the recent cross-border communications interoperability technology demonstration held as part of President Obama' and Prime Minister Harper's Beyond the Border vision. CAUSE II demonstrated the ability to exchange information between local, state, provincial and national systems and software applications, including Canada’s Multi Agency Situational Awareness System (MASAS), and the U.S.’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) and Virtual USA (vUSA). Additionally, CAUSE II involved the use of Virtual Maine, and the Mutual Aid Support System and Mission Ready Package Tools (MASS MRP).
View the event's agenda, recording, and presentation slideshow.

“Situational Awareness for Special Events: Lessons Learned from the DNC and the 2012 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials”—October 25, 2012
We are happy to announce that we had a very successful virtual event on October 25, 2012, featuring situational awareness for complex special events.
View the agenda, participant list, and recording of the event.

"Open Humanitarian Initiative (OHI)" Webinar--September 12, 2013Gisli Olafsson, Emergency Response Director of NetHope, Inc., discussed how NetHope, a consortium of 39 of the leading international NGOs built around the concept of collaborative effort, is leading the development of OHI which is focused on improving disaster response interoperability, visualization, and data sharing. Mr. Olafsson discussed hurdles and solutions to partnership building and stakeholder engagement and pointed out that many similarities between the challenges experienced at both national and international levels.
View the event's recording and presentation slideshow.

The NISC Virtual Roll-out & Membership Drive—September 20, 2012
On 9/20/12, we held the first of a series of virtual membership drives that introduced the NISC and its membership benefits to state and local practitioners. Materials from the event are available: agenda, participant list, presentation slides, recording.